


A Short Story

by LissaMU



Category: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Pride and Prejudice (1995), Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Finding each other again, Post-Break Up, Rebound Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 23:56:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16294403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LissaMU/pseuds/LissaMU
Summary: Elizabeth Bennet has spent the better part of a year getting over a painful breakup with Will Darcy, but now she's ready to try again with the new guy in her office building, Richard Fitzwilliam. But just as she starts getting comfortable, the past comes back to haunt her...





	A Short Story

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: The explicit scene is between Richard and Elizabeth, in case that isn't your sort of thing, but as always with my fics, endgame is always Darcy/Elizabeth ;)

Elizabeth Bennet silently prepared for her first date in a year. After the Will Darcy fiasco, she had been shy to open her heart again. At last, her sister and flatmate Jane had convinced her to accept a date; his name was Richard Fitzwilliam, a former native who had lived in New York for several years before returning about two months earlier, and he and Elizabeth worked in the same building. He seemed very nice, and was exceptionally good-looking, fortunately in a completely different way from Will. Will was tall, with dark curly hair and dark brooding eyes that reflected his intense emotions; Richard was fair, blue-eyed and much more jovial. They had chatted a few times in the lift, and he had asked her out. Initially she demurred, fearing a potential new relationship. Jane had talked her into it though, and the next time he asked she accepted. It was now six thirty, and he was picking her up at seven.

Jane walked into the room and rubbed her sister's shoulders. Elizabeth deserved to be happy again after the pain she had gone through. 'I don't know if I can do this Jane,' Elizabeth whispered as Jane began fixing her hair.

'Of course you can, sweetheart. You need to go out and have fun again. I'm not asking you to marry the guy. Just enjoy yourself.' She smiled sympathetically as she moved to makeup.

'I'll try. But it's still so hard,' Elizabeth sighed. Jane gave her a hug and finished getting her ready. When the doorbell rang, Elizabeth put on her bravest smile and opened it to see Richard with a small bouquet of wildflowers. His smile made Elizabeth feel more at ease, and as soon as the flowers were in water, they went out.

To Elizabeth's surprise, she had a wonderful time. They had dinner, took a stroll around a nearby park, and he even humoured her by taking her to see the latest Colin Firth movie. She felt completely at ease and relaxed, and most importantly, able to laugh. When he dropped her off, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and asked if he could call again. She agreed.

'How did it go Lizzy?' Jane asked the next morning at breakfast. Her sister's smile was the only reply she needed.

Over the next few weeks, Elizabeth and Richard saw each other many times; a few lunch dates, a few dinner dates, a handful of evening walks. Things were starting to get serious after about six weeks of dating. Jane couldn't be happier that her sister had recovered at last, and even felt comfortable enough with her emotional state to leave town on business for a week. It was the first time she had left Lizzy's side since Will.

Jane left on Wednesday, and on Friday, Richard picked Elizabeth up for another romantic evening. As he was walking her home, he put his arm around her shoulders, and she could not help but think that the last time she had been so comfortable had been with Will. At the door, Richard wrapped his arms around her and just looked at her for a moment.

'I really like you Elizabeth,' he whispered as he leaned in to kiss her. 'You're amazing.' They held each other tightly for several minutes before he spoke again. 'Well, I should probably get going if I don't want to be driving too late.' She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes.

'You don't have to go home tonight. You can stay here with me.' His eyes searched her face.

'Are you sure?'

'Very sure.' He smiled and followed her upstairs.

She turned the key in the lock nervously. She had not been with a man in a long time, and the anticipation was making her tremble. Richard sensed her uneasiness and placed a reassuring hand on her waist. The pleasantness of his touch calmed her, and she opened the door. As soon as they were both inside and the door locked, Elizabeth stepped forward and put her arms around Richard’s neck.

'It’s been a long time,' she confided. 'I’m afraid you’ll have to be patient with me.'  He smiled, stroking her cheek gently.

'Good things come to those who wait,' he teased before leaning in for a kiss. It was much more passionate than he had allowed himself to indulge in before; though he knew none of the particulars, Elizabeth had mentioned that she’d been through a bad breakup, and he hadn’t wanted to rush her. Now he released all of the desire he’d been feeling for her since the day he had first seen her.

She responded shyly at first, still unsure about letting herself go. Richard Fitzwilliam’s kisses could not long be resisted, however, and soon she was kissing back with equal force. He felt the moment of the transition and used it to begin moving his hands up and down her back. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck as his caresses grew more daring. Elizabeth’s mind was reeling with pleasure she had not felt for so long.

'Richard, please,' she whispered as she too began moving her hands to arouse him. Instead of using words to convey her needs, she ran her fingers along the waistband of his jeans and undid the button as her mouth again found his with ferocity. Unwilling to make love to her on the living room floor, Richard slowly began to walk her backwards towards the bedroom. In a few quick strides they were at the door, and without turning around, Elizabeth fumbled with the doorknob until it gave. He turned the light on as he passed the switch, closing the door behind him.

His mouth left Elizabeth’s only long enough to pull her shirt over her head, but in his hunger for her even that seemed too long a time. She struggled to unbutton his shirt until he grew impatient; he pushed her hands down to the jeans while he unbuttoned the shirt himself. She gladly took on the new occupation of trousers removal, and in a flash their combined efforts had him clad only in a form-fitting pair of navy blue boxer-briefs. Her eyes and hands moved to caress the evidence of his arousal, and he moaned softly to signal his approval. Suddenly realizing the iniquity of their clothing situations, Richard hurriedly unzipped her skirt and pushed it to the floor, then moved to unclasp her bra. As it fell from her arms, he took a step back to admire her curves unencumbered by most of her clothing; she was more gorgeous than he had imagined. His desire now consumed him, and with one swift action, he picked her up and they were both on the bed.

Elizabeth now took the initiative, placing herself on top of him and kissing her way down his body with agonizing slowness. Each breath, flick of her tongue, and caress of her lips made him moan softly. When she at last reached the waistband of his CKs, she paused as if to decide how next to proceed.

'Oh God, Elizabeth, please don’t stop!' he whispered hoarsely, feeling bereft of the warmth of her breath on his skin. Unwilling to deprive him of anything, she obliged him by pulling the tantalizingly tight piece of clothing off his body and tossing it on the floor. She continued to arouse him first with her hands, then with her mouth as he cried out his intense pleasure. Unable to take anymore, he pulled her up and rolled her over, returning the agonizing favour she had bestowed on him. Her panties were ripped off with passionate disregard for the delicate fabric, and he explored what was underneath with a zeal that Elizabeth found quite admirable.

'Oh yes, Richard, faster, please, oh God, don’t stop…' Elizabeth cried out in incoherent bursts. Realizing that she was soon to reach her peak, Richard redoubled his efforts, determined to get her off before they progressed further. When she cried out his name while tightening her grip on his hair, he knew he had succeeded. Popping back up with a smug grin, he took the condom she offered and rolled it on. Gently, he spread her legs and placed his body carefully between them.

'Are you ready Elizabeth?' he breathed. Her reply was to dive her fingers into his hair and force his mouth onto hers. Slowly, deliberately, he entered her and began a steady rhythm that threatened to drive her quite distracted. Wave after wave of pleasure hit her as she climaxed, until they collapsed exhaustedly in each other’s arms.

Richard awoke the next morning to the smell of coffee and a feeling of contentment. Elizabeth had already gotten up and made breakfast, and in perfect morning-after movie cliché, she was wearing his shirt. Smiling, he walked up and put his arms around her waist. 'Good morning,' he whispered as he kissed her neck. She turned and kissed him.

'Have some breakfast.' They had a lovely, comfortable morning, and could barely imagine anything better.

Two weeks later, Richard and Elizabeth were on their way to his parents' house for the annual family picnic. He parked next to a black Lexus that seemed hauntingly familiar to Elizabeth, but she shook her head and ignored it as mere coincidence. Hand in hand, they made the round of introductions to his parents, grandparents, siblings, and cousins. Elizabeth thought more relatives couldn't possibly fit anywhere in or around the house, but Richard seemed to still be looking around for someone. He smiled when he seemed to find the person he was seeking.

'One more introduction... I want you to meet my favourite cousin. He's been abroad for several months, so this is the first time I've seen him since January. Come on!' Elizabeth followed, but began to feel ill as she saw the back of the man they were approaching. She knew that stance, the tiny bald spot, the lines of his body, almost as well as she knew herself. When Richard called out, 'Will!' she turned decidedly pale. The man turned around at the sound of his cousin's voice, but the smile left his face as soon as he saw the lady beside him. 'Will, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend Elizabeth. Lizzy, this is my cousin Will Darcy.' The two could not even look at each other. Elizabeth was blushing furiously, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

'We've met,' Will whispered. Richard looked confusedly from one to the other.

'I have to go Richard, I'm sorry,' Elizabeth choked out.

'No, stay, I'll leave,' Will offered.

'Don't be ridiculous Will. This is your family. I'll go. Please take me home Richard, you can come back.' Will nodded, a look of intense pain covering his features.

'Goodbye,' he said before turning around and going into the house. Richard offered Elizabeth his arm and they walked back to the car. He waited until they were on the road to speak to her.

'Lizzy... please talk to me. What was that about?' Elizabeth took a deep breath to try to keep from crying.

'Will and I used to date.'

'That wasn't the reaction of simple dating, Lizzy.'

'We were pretty serious. We dated for about six months. One day he went on a two-week business trip to Japan, and since it didn't really work for us to talk on the phone much, I called his answering machine at home just to hear his voice. Some woman named Caroline answered the phone; let's just say that from our conversation, I found out all I needed to know about Will Darcy. I never spoke to him again.'

'When was this?'

'About a year ago.'

'Oh, I see... that's why we never met. I was still living in New York at the time. So let me get this straight... you never spoke to Will again because of Caroline Bingley?' She nodded; he sighed. If he told her what he needed to tell her, their relationship would be in serious jeopardy. But if he didn't, he couldn't live with himself. He pulled into the nearest parking lot and turned off the car. 'Will never explained the situation to you?'

'He tried, I suppose... he called me, came to my flat, sent me letters... I ignored them all. There wasn't much to explain in my opinion.' He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair.

'Elizabeth, Will and Caroline have never been, are not, and never will be an item. She is his stalker.' She looked up at him in disbelief. 'When Will went on that trip, she broke into his house and lived there for two weeks. She slept in his bed, wore his clothes, and answered his phone. She told anyone who called or came by that she was his fiancée and having his baby. In reality, she is a complete psychopath who became obsessed with him after meeting him at a couple of parties. He rejected her, she snapped and started following him around. When he came back and found her in his bed, he had her arrested and got a restraining order; minimum 100 meters distance at all times.' Elizabeth hung her head in her hands.

'Oh my God... I can't believe this...' she whispered. He started the car again, and they drove in silence to her flat.

He walked her to door and gave her a hug. 'I'm guessing you have some stuff to think about. Call me when you're ready, ok?' She nodded and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

'Bye. Thanks, Richard.' He smiled weakly; she smiled back even more weakly. He got in the car and started it. Before she went in the building, she turned and gave him one last look. He drove away, fighting the tears and the knowledge that he had lost her.

**********

A few days later, Elizabeth called and asked Richard to walk with her in a park they had never gone to before. This park had been a special place for her and Will, but Richard didn't know that. They had been walking for about twenty minutes in silence when Elizabeth stopped and turned to him.

'I'm sorry Richard. I can't do this.' He nodded sadly.

'I understand. I can't say it wasn't wholly unexpected, considering.' He smiled wanly. 'Can you promise me something?'

'What's that?'

'It's when you tell someone you'll do something and then you do it. But that's not important.' She chuckled softly at his feeble attempt to lighten the mood. 'Seriously though... I want you to promise that if you're not going to be with me, you'll at least try to reconcile to some extent with Will. What happened wasn't his fault, and I think he has a right to explain things to you.' Elizabeth nodded, unable to fight the tears that were imminent.

'I promise. Thank you, Richard... you're the best, you really are.'

'Damn right I am.' They smiled and hugged. He leaned down and gave her one small, chaste kiss on her lips, the last he would ever give her. 'Goodbye.' He walked back to his car with only one last look at the first woman he had ever begun to love.

Elizabeth turned away when she could no longer see Richard's car. She had liked him, that was certain, but he wasn't Will. No one would ever be Will. She had been so hurt, but now she knew that she had brought it all on herself by refusing to let Will explain himself. Her relationship with Richard had been nice, but she could no longer deny to herself that it was Will she couldn't live without. She wandered around the park for another hour, revisiting all the spots they had enjoyed.

Finally, she went to their favourite place, a hidden little nook away from the rest of the park. They had made love here once, almost been caught, and laughed about it for a week. It was their special spot, and she hadn't been able to bring herself to come here in over a year. When she reached it, she realized that she wasn't alone. She smiled when she recognized the shape she knew so well but saddened when she realized that his shoulders were shaking with racking sobs. She walked over and touched his shoulder.

'William,' she whispered. He jumped up and turned to face her, face still streaked with tears.

'Elizabeth?' was all he could say. She nodded and got closer.

'How long have you been here?'

'A few hours. Richard said he was going to see you today, and I felt the urge to come here. I've been here nearly everyday since... you know.'

'I know. Will, I was so wrong. I never let you explain. Richard told me the whole story... I have no right to expect anything from you, but I would like to ask your forgiveness. Please forgive me Will. I can't bear to think that you're alive in the world and thinking ill of me.' He laughed somewhat bitterly.

'I would readily forgive you now, if I hadn't already done it long ago. There's nothing to forgive anymore.' They stood awkwardly apart, both yearning to hold each other.

'I've never stopped loving you, Will. I never could. You are the only man for me. I wish... I wish I could someday earn your love back.' At this he stepped forward and took her into his arms.

'I love you, Elizabeth, I loved you then, I love you now, I'll love you always. I can't live without you. I just want to be with you, if you'll have me.' She responded by placing her lips tenderly on his. The feeling of fulfilment they both derived simply from kissing again told them all they needed to know; they would never be apart again.

At first, they were unwilling to allow their kisses to surpass feathery pecks, but a passion as intense as the one they shared was not easily held back for long. Before he knew it, Will was pressing Elizabeth firmly against him, kissing her deeply as if making up for lost time. His hands sought out the curves he had so missed touching; his fingertips grazed over her soft skin and luxurious hair. Elizabeth, in turn, revelled in the strength of his shoulders, and the safe feeling she only had in his embrace.

'I never should have left you, Will. How could I have been so stupid as to think that I would ever love another?' she whispered. His back stiffened slightly, signalling his discomfort with this topic.

'Did… did you love Richard?' he asked, fearful of the reply. He gripped her possessively, unable to bear the thought of sharing her affections. She looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears.

'I’ve never loved anyone but you,' she replied. His relief was great, and he showed it by embracing her lovingly and burying his face in her neck.

'Make love to me, Elizabeth. Here, now. I can’t be without you another moment.'  Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

'But Will… don’t you remember what happened last time?' she teased.

'Damn the risk,' he replied seriously. 'I need you Elizabeth, I need you in my arms, I need to feel you right now. I beg you, make love to me,' he pleaded. She could deny him nothing, she knew, and so led him to the little gazebo that had been the site of their last attempt. He sat down on the bench as she instructed and watched as she stripped for him. As soon as she was completely bare, he pulled her to his lap and ran his hands softly over her skin. When he kissed her, it was not a kiss of ardent, long-denied passion as she had expected, but a tender caress of her very soul.

He led her out of the gazebo and into a little thicket of trees and soft mossy ground. He removed his own clothing and lay down next to her. Tears began to fall from both their eyes as they rediscovered each other. At last, Elizabeth motioned to him that it was time; with tenderness, passion, and love, they came together as one, body and soul, as if they had never been apart.


End file.
